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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. swing — to play on
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bound — certain
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wake — a trail
  11. cue — for pool
  12. swing — in golf
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. snap — to click
  21. bound — tied together
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. swing — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com